Music might work better if we focused on contributing to it instead of stealing from it.

What’s the point?

Many folks I’ve talked to in music wonder “what’s the point?” With the domination of technology that places orchestras at the fingertips, with folks, bots, and Republicans who steal your tunes, and with no pay out unless you’re supremely business savvy or extremely lucky, what’s the point?

Keep in mind, I don’t feel this way. But I have friends reading this who probably do.

Bringing answers today, (for me).

I think the reason for that is pretty simple. I know why I do music and it has nothing to do with any of that. Nothing.

More than anything throughout my entire life, music has kept me out of trouble. This isn’t to say I’ve never been in trouble, but I am comfortable saying, I’d have been in more of it without music. Music gives me something to do that I can feel good about. Hardly anyone or anything anywhere has ever done that. Music? No problem. Still at it, too.

Debt of gratitude. 

I feel like I owe music. I feel like it still might be around long after I’m gone. So I hope I’m contributing to that somehow. I’m not alone this way. I’m in the company of legends.

Music is not about what it gives me. It’s not about staying out of trouble (for everyone). It’s not about profits I can make from it. It’s not about how much or how little music I’m able to make. It’s not even about legacy or a way to exist post mortem. It’s about using my scones to make something that goes in the pile for someone else to unearth and use in their brain. It’s a collective and timeless archive of mankind’s spare time. It’s worth contributing to. 

Priceless

The value I receive from music doesn’t have to do with money I get from it. There’s no other way I’d rather spend my time. That makes for priceless.

Fucking toll booths.

Capitalism isn’t the same thing as music. Industry, markets, trends.. it’s a layer on the sound. If they can make a buck, they will. Toll booths? Anyone?

Some folks charge a fee to drive on their roads. I get it. But I’m not there with my music. I just want to make it then forget about it while on the next thing. That’s my happy place. It doesn’t have to do with money. It’s more to do with doing something.

Toll booths and Oklahoma; a summary.

By the way, we only need to look as far as Oklahoma (35 miles from here) for a great example of toll roads that suck. I think something in folks’ brains (capitalism, it’s capitalism) enables them to live by “well if it costs more it must be better.” I don’t think this has ever been true. But I do know musos out there who charge because they don’t want to sound “cheap” before you hear what they sound like, (capitalism again). 

Just how many jobs is playing the fucking guitar?

Marketing, music, technical stuff, and artwork are all different skills. We should stop pretending we know it all as musicians and focus on the music. I do not want to be a suit. I want to be Pete Seeger. Capitalism might put me on a different road than that. So I try to avoid it. I’d rather be Pete.

Reasons are not bad.

In talking with folks I’ve worked with, I’ve come to recognize a mindset that needs the crowd to recognize them. That’s not wrong, rock and roll. 🤘I’ve also come to appreciate the mindset that does things just to see what they can do. Not wrong either. What fucks us up, in my opinion,  is the value of these folks’ work being set at a dollar sign as opposed to impact. I’d rather hear impact.

Danger sign.

I think preferring wealth over impact is a dangerous place to be. Has to do with a lot of things. Poverty even plays a role. But music is not a quick buck. It takes a lot of us years to feel comfortable with our skills enough to share them. It takes practice. Many songs require specific heartaches. Lessons learned, hard. Many philosophies and approaches aren’t even developed until after years of playing professionally. Music was always expensive as hell. Even if it was accessible or cheap. It takes work. Even a prodigy I worked with practices all the time. She doesn’t have to. But she is working toward something. Hope I’m around to see it.

Time is the great leveler.

All that work takes time. That is time I’d most likely be getting in trouble with were it not for music. THAT is the value, not money.. for me. It saves me from myself. Every day!

I’m loaded with freebies.

So, I try to contribute to it. I do free things and have free songs around. Happy to send free songs when folks ask for them sometimes. Sometimes I’ll send little cover tunes Keri and I make as presents for friends. Just letting them know I’m thinking about them, (while trying out new stuff, haha). 

Yes. I make money. But that’s boring compared to music.

I do “work” too, but musically, I’m mostly free. It just feels good to help folks who have nice songs and little money, no time. I, myself, was homeless in the 1990’s. Without Keri, I’d probably be back there. I just can’t “get” money in this life. Maybe it’s the bipolar or the background in poverty, I struggle there even though I make plenty. I’m a work in progress, but I may never get money. Keri is super helpful there. She’s really the most helpful person I’ve ever met. I like helping her back. That’s a lot like music, with me. That’s my zone.

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